Mexico (AFP)

Four more cases of coronavirus contamination have been identified in the workforce of the club of the Mexican 1st division of Santos Laguna, bringing the total of players diagnosed positive at Covid-19 to twelve, announced Thursday the Mexican Football League.

"The second part of the Covid-19 test results on Club Santos Laguna players are known and revealed four positive cases," said La Liga MX.

The day before, she had announced that eight players from this club, 3rd in the Mexican championship at the time of the suspension of the competition in mid-March, had contracted the coronavirus and that they were asymptomatic.

La Liga MX also announced that among the 46 tests carried out within the Club Atlas workforce, 23 had so far returned, all negative.

These announcements come at a time when discussions on a possible resumption of the closing tournament of the Mexican championship could lead to a decision by the end of the week.

Santos Laguna owner Alejandro Irarragorri admitted on Wednesday that the positive cases within his club "singularly complicate the scenario of a recovery".

Team goalkeeper Jonathan Orozco revealed that he was one of the Covid-19 positive players whose identities had not been made public. "I feel good, I have no symptoms," he said on his Instagram account.

The doorman admitted he did not comply with the regulations on social distancing, as revealed by the Mexican press by publishing photos showing him singing microphone in hand with two people on May 12.

"I organized something at home, because I like to sing, I invited two people and I want to clarify that I have not left my house at all (...) I apologize, this n 'is not the example I want to set, "pleaded Orozco, assuring that none of his teammates were present that day.

The closing tournament of the Mexico Championship was suspended on March 15 after ten disputed days. Six days of regular phase are still on the program, before Liguilla, a knockout tournament with the eight best teams.

More than 6,500 deaths attributed to Covid-19 have been recorded in Mexico for nearly 60,000 cases, according to the Johns Hopkins University count.

© 2020 AFP